


31 Windsor Gardens

by Kimberlyjct45



Category: James Bond (Craig movies), Paddington (Movies)
Genre: 007 Fest, Crossover, Fluff, Q has a life outside of MI6, cuteness, very cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-19 22:51:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15520437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimberlyjct45/pseuds/Kimberlyjct45
Summary: Q has plans to enjoy a nice day off with his neighbour and then double oh hops along.





	31 Windsor Gardens

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to be up for crossover day but stuff happened and I kept putting it off. So instead here it is two hours before fest ends in my timezone. 
> 
> This is set after Skyfall and the first Paddington film but before the second and we're just going to pretend Spectre doesn't exist. 
> 
> I'm sorry for any typos I missed!

Q was thankful to have a weekend off after the week he’s had at MI6. It wasn't because the missions this week had been high stakes at every turn. Or because the double-ohs had chosen this particular week to be difficult although, both of those had happened before and in the same week. No, this time it had been the number of meetings he had been forced to attend that had made this week mind-numbing. M and the British government had finally put their foot down and declared that MI6 could no longer remain in Churchill’s bunkers. As a result, the search for a new building was in full effect with department heads getting pulled into meetings alongside architects to discuss potential locations and floor plans.

Q wanted to keep his underground technological lair.

After a few intense discussions and a PowerPoint detailing the benefits of keeping the minions in an underground environment M had conceded and Q considered that his biggest victory this week.

But it was now the weekend and he has plans. Plans that involve a quiet, relaxing day with his neighbour.

Q had moved into 31 Windsor Gardens not long after the events at Skyfall lodge. He had been in need of a bigger place to live and Windsor Gardens had a lovely community not counting the nosy Mr. Curry, and was a decent distance from MI6 HQ. Not long after Q had moved in, Windsor Gardens had received a new tenant who stole Q’s novelty. A bear from Darkest, Peru had moved in with the Browns into 32 Windsor Gardens, right across from Q. Had it not been for the threat looming over England, that week, and Bond’s mission turning into an absolute shit storm, Q would have been properly bewildered. Instead, like a true Englishman, he had accepted that this was life and spared the Browns and the bear a hasty good morning all those months ago before running off to work.

Paddington, as Q later learned the bear was called, made for a lovely neighbour. He always greeted Q in the mornings and again in the evenings if Q made it home at a decent hour. Q’s cats were fond of Paddington. They would occasionally lounge on the front doorsteps on the rare sunny days London had to offer. Paddington could be found sitting on the steps with them sharing his latest adventure. The Browns were wonderful people. Mrs Bird, the Brown’s family friend who lived with them, would bring over baked goods, and Mrs Brown was always a delight to converse with. Mr. Brown’s company insured Q’s home and luckily, Q had gotten away with being able to install his own security system without too many questions being asked. The Browns children, Judy and Jonathan, were friendly and often waved at Q when he was on his way in or out of the house. Overall, Q loved Windsor Gardens. 

Therefore, when the Browns had been called away on a family affair on the same weekend Mrs Bird had her annual poker trip with her friends, Q had happily agreed to take Paddington in for the weekend and Saturday morning found both of them seated in Q’s kitchen drinking tea with their marmalade sandwiches.

“How was your week at work, Mr. Q?” asked Paddington, setting down his sandwich.

“It was alright, a little stressful,” Q replied. As far as his neighbours were concerned Q was just a systems analyst for a security company. No one questioned it. No one except Mr. Curry, who was convinced it was his job to oversee everything that happened in Windsor Gardens. Mr. Curry had been keeping a close eye on Q after a particular blonde agent had made a habit of breaking into Q’s home after missions instead of reporting to MI6.

“Well, a walk in the park is bound to cheer you right up,” declared Paddington as he finished his marmalade sandwich and drained his tea. Of course draining his tea resulted in the bear accidently swallowing a few tea dregs and coughing. Q rubbed the bear’s back through his blue duffel coat until he stopped coughing.

“Thank you,” said Paddington when the coughing ceased. Q nodded at him in response and moved to clear the table of their breakfast dishes. While Q set his kitchen in order, Paddington as per Q’s request went to feed the cats: Turing and Huxley. As they were eating away Paddington sat down cross legged by their bowls to give them company and to tell them of his and Q’s plans. Q listened to Paddington detailing the park they were going to with half an ear as he washed their mugs. A smile graced Q’s lips. He was glad he had the weekend off. There were no major missions in progress and the current double-ohs out in field were on milk runs. Nothing the weekend minions couldn’t handle.

Paddington had moved on to telling Turing and Huxley about the train Jonathan was building when Q wrapped up. Q had been listening to the train strand rather eagerly. The previous week he had loaned Jonathan a few books on locomotive systems after listening to the young boy’s passionate tale of his train museum visit. Q couldn’t wait to see Jonathan’s final creation.

“Are you ready, Paddington?” Q asked walking into the living room where his guest and the cats had wandered into.

“Yes, Mr. Q,” Paddington scrambled to get to his feet.

Q and Paddington each gave the cats a goodbye pat, and Q pulled on one of his lighter anoraks. The sun was out but there was a light, chill carrying breeze in the air. Q grabbed his wallet and keys stuffing them in his pockets. Finally, Q and Paddington exited the house. Together to two made their way towards the park.

Paddington greeted each neighbour the pair passed by. In return each neighbour had bright answering smiles to respond with and wished them a good day. Q loved that about Windsor Gardens. Everyone was friendly with one another and there was no doubt it all was thanks to the bear walking at his side. Q had barely known his neighbours in the last building he had lived in. He’d be surprised if anyone remembered the tenant that had lived in 4B. Meanwhile here, well, here reminded him of the neighbourhood he had grown up in before the untimely death of his parents. Q liked to think they would have loved Windsor Gardens.

“Mr. Q, have you ever travelled out of London?” asked Paddington calling Q away from his memories.

“Yes,” answered Q mentally filtering details of some of the trips he had taken. There were only two he could talk about freely everything else was classified and little bullet ridden.

Paddington looked up at Q curiously, his brown eyes wide with the potential of an exciting tale. Q couldn’t resist and humoured him.

“I visited the states once when I was in Uni,” Q recalled, “New York specifically. It’s huge and crowded.”

“Did you like it?”

“Yes, you could always find something or someone interesting on every corner.”

The pair, themselves, rounded a corner. They didn’t have much further to go. The eagerness in Paddington’s steps went up a notch. Q found himself picking up his steps a little and before he knew it he was saying, “Race you there!”

They took off. A bear and a human running down the sidewalk towards the park at the end. Q paced himself just enough so that his longer legs didn’t put him at an advantage over Paddington’s shorter ones. Paddington ran with all his might. His mind on the ducks who lived in the park that Paddington made the effort to visit at least once a week. Q on the other hand, had not felt this excitement in a while. There had been too much paperwork, and too many meetings in the last couple of months. Everything Q hadn’t wanted in a job. But right now, joy was coursing through him and he couldn’t help but laugh.

They both reached the tree at the edge of the park at the same time and had reached out with their arms so as to not fully crash into it. Paddington and Q took a moment to lean against it and catch their breaths. Q took a moment to survey the park. A habit ingrained in him from his thankfully still ongoing career in espionage. Always be aware of your surroundings the orientation had said. They were in the clear. There were a few others walking around the park, some with pets, others with children.

Paddington spotted the vendor who sold bags of duck feed and was pulling Q along before Q could even register what was happening.

“Come along, Mr Q,” the bear called tugging on the sleeve of Q’s anorak with all his might. Q obliged.

Mr Kent, the duck feed vendor smiled at them when they approached. “Ah, Paddington, what a delight to see you again and who is your friend here?” The man smiled warmly at Q. Q returned the gesture.

“This is Mr Quentin but we all call him Mr Q for short. He’s my neighbour,” answered Paddington.

Q extended a hand out to properly greet the man.

“I am delighted to meet you, Mr Q,” greeted Mr Kent placing his hand in Q’s, “ Mr Kent at your service.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” Q shook the man’s hand, taking note of the calluses he could feel. Mentally Q came up with a profile for the man. He had most likely had a job that required physical labour. He was retired now judging his age by the laugh lines and crow’s feet that deepened when he smiled. And married as indicated by the gold band on his other hand.

“We’ve come to feed the ducks,” continued Paddington eagerly.

“Ah, of course!” Mr Kent withdrew his hand and reached into his vendor cart to pullout two bags of duck feed. Q didn’t think it possible for Paddington’s excitement to go up any further. It did. The bear eagerly clapped his paws together. Q paid Mr Kent, who wished them a jolly day and then proceeded to push his cart along the walkway surrounding the park pond.

Q handed Paddington one of the bags. The two proceeded to walk towards the spot with the most ducks. There was bench by the pond’s edge. Paddington hopped up and wiggled in place to get comfortable. Q took a seat next to him. There were three ducks floating where the pond water met the pond’s ledge. One quirked its head to them, the other two paid them no mind. Q’s eyes scanned over the pond. It was a bit bigger than most ponds, enough for there to be a walkway around it. The rest of the park was grass with trees and little spots of flowers.

Paddington offered a pawful of duck feed to the duck that had left its floating companions and walked closer. Paddington remained still, patiently waiting for the cautious bird. The mallard duck waddled over pausing a little bit away before eagerly poking its bill into the bear’s paw. Q watched the exchange between the two. He had never fed ducks before and had been curious when Paddington brought it up earlier at breakfast.

Q followed Paddington’s example as a few more ducks made their way towards them. There was a variety of ducks. Q only recognised the mallard ducks. The others were an assortment of grey with dark spots and a few brown with streaks of darker feathers. Paddington pointed out the regulars whom he visited.

“This is Poe. He only has spots on his wings. This is Tilly. The feathers on her back never stay down,” Paddington patted down Tilly’s feathers to make us his point, “Oh! And this is Marcy. She loves the oats in the feed.”

Marcy did indeed seem to only poke at the oats in the feed. Q was impressed with Paddington’s ability to recall which duck was which and his heart was warmed at witnessing the friendship Paddington offered to the living beings around them without reserve. Paddington named a few more ducks as their combined bird feed count continued to diminish.

The ducks were reluctant to accept the matter of the duck feed being gone regardless of the assurances from Q and Paddington that they’d come back.

“Oh, don’t be like that Tilly!” Paddington called to the duck after she had honked and turned her tail to them.

Q tried not to laugh. It was a comical sight. The ducks waddled away to return to their daily activities. Q and Paddington remained at the bench watching them until Q stood up.

“Shall we walk around for a bit before lunch?” Q asked his companion.

“Oh, Yes!” Paddington exclaimed, hopping off the bench.

The duo walked back to pathway and began the loop around the pond. Paddington took it upon himself to fill in the silence with conversation. Q lent an ear. He loved listening to Paddington.

“Judy was annoyed at her classmate for not completing his part of the project,” Paddington relayed the latest news of the Brown children as they were closing their lap. “And Mr Brown tried to offer comfort by saying that fifty-five percent of co-workers let each other down when forced to work together on a project.”

Q raised his eyebrows.

“Have you ever been let down by your co-workers, Mr. Q?” asked Paddington, glancing up at him.

Q snorted. The memories of the various double-ohs who came back with missing or damaged equipment came to the forefront of his mind.

“Too many times, Paddington, too many times. You would be surprised how difficult some grown men find it to follow directions,” Q responded, thinking of two particular agents.

“Now, now, Q. No need to be so harsh,” said a familiar voice behind them.

**Author's Note:**

> ummm....thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Comments would be much appreciated. I guess I'll see you for the next part if you were interested in coming back to this.


End file.
